Shasta senior Dean McMurtrey pitches against Central Valley at DeForest Field on Thursday. McMurtrey got the win, tossing 4.2 innings with four strikeouts in the 14-2 win.

K.C. Toombs made sure he will always remember senior night.

The Shasta High center fielder drove in a career-high seven runs, four of which came when he clobbered a grand slam to left-center field, as the Wolves downed visiting Central Valley 14-2 in a five-inning shortened game at DeForest Field on Thursday.

Toombs went 4 for 4 in the nonleague contest, crushing a two-run triple in the second inning and then followed it up with a bases-loaded blast in Shasta's eight-run third to put the Wolves in place for a mercy-rule win.

His teammates rallied in the fourth to get him a fourth plate appearance for a chance at the cycle, but Toombs singled through the infield and was tossed out trying to stretch it into a double.

Still, the damage was done. Shasta snapped its six-game losing streak with its highest run total of the season. Toombs led the offensive surge, which was enlightening for the struggling Wolves.

"It's all a mindset, it's all in the head," Toombs said. "You have to know you're going to go up there and hit the ball and that's what I did."

Shasta (13-12) racked up 12 hits in the game with two other seniors contributing RBIs in the game. Dean McMurtrey, who also pitched 4.2 innings and struck out four in the win, drove in two on a triple and backup catcher Austin Fruci delivered in his senior night start by knocking in three runs — two coming on a second-inning double.

"It was only fitting it was senior day and the seniors knocked in almost all the runs," Shasta coach Jim Morley said. "You can't plan a better scenario than that. They had a phenomenal day."

McMurtrey hadn't started a game since March 9 and was mainly utilized as a relief pitcher for the bulk of this season. But the power lefty had his stuff working and he leaned on his defense to help him out of a few jams. Central Valley (13-16) stranded runners oin every inning with two on-base in four of the five frames.

McMurtrey yielded two runs on four hits in Shasta's most lopsided victory this season.

"He's been a steady competitor all year for us," Morley said.

Shasta struck in the second inning as Fruci doubled to left-center, plating Justin McMurtrey and Travis Dankson. He scored from third on an error when Tyler Joyce stole second, and then Toombs' triple brought in Joyce and Alec Browning for a 5-0 lead in the second.

The Wolves blew the game open with an eight-run third and they batted around in the order for the second straight inning. Dean McMurtrey's two-run double past a diving Eddie Cardoza in left began the scoring and Fruci followed with an RBI groundout. Robert Morris was hit by a pitch, Joyce reached on an error, and Browning walked to load the bases before Toombs connected on a fastball for a round-tripper. Three batters later, Danny Law drove in Carson Parks for a 13-0 advantage.

"This team really has its ups and downs but this should give us a lot of confidence," Toombs said.

CV's Johnny Bell knocked in Cardoza on a sacrifice fly in the fourth but Toombs matched it with an RBI on his fourth hit of the game in the bottom of the frame. In the top of the fifth, Adam Miner scored on Chris Ryan's RBI single through the right side of the infield but Shasta's Wade Gulden finished off the Falcons by fanning Jamien Bergstrom on three pitches for the final out.

The Falcons are finished with league but need a solid performance in a home doubleheader against Trinity on May 4 to gain some confidence back and to end its questions about consistency, CV coach Bret Barnes said.

Shasta opens its final Sac River League series against Red Bluff on the road with a doubleheader Tuesday. Playoff seeding is on the line but the Wolves can use Thursday's win as a turning point in their season, Toombs said.

"We need to win out," Toombs said. "The whole team knows it and we're confident we can beat them. We just need to perform to our potential."